A small, round character, visibly trembling and hugging itself, hiding partially behind a bright yellow curtain with a worried and fearful expression.

temo

/TEH-moh/

VerbA2regular er

I fear?Expressing fear or worry

Also:I am afraid of?Used interchangeably with 'I fear',I worry?When talking about a potential negative outcome

Quick Reference

infinitivetemer

gerundtemiendo

past Participletemido

📝 In Action

Temo a las arañas.

I am afraid of spiders.

No temo decir la verdad.

I am not afraid to tell the truth.

Temo que no lleguemos a tiempo.

I fear that we won't arrive on time.

Temo lo peor.

I fear the worst.

Word Connections

Synonyms

tengo miedo de (I'm scared of)

Antonyms

confío en (I trust in)
me atrevo a (I dare to)

Common Collocations

temo por tu seguridad – I fear for your safety
temo lo peor – I fear the worst

Idioms & Expressions

temer por la vida – to fear for one's life

💡 Grammar Points

Using 'Temer que' + a Special Verb Form

When you say you fear that something might happen, the verb that follows 'que' changes its ending. This special form is called the subjunctive. For example, 'Temo que llegue tarde' (I fear he/she might arrive late).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting 'a'

Mistake: "Temo los perros."

Correction: Temo a los perros. When you fear a specific person or pet, you usually need to add 'a' right after the verb.

⭐ Usage Tips

'Temo' vs. 'Tengo miedo'

'Temo' can sound a bit more formal or serious than 'Tengo miedo'. In everyday chat, 'Tengo miedo de las arañas' is more common than 'Temo a las arañas', but both are perfectly correct.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

yotemo

tútemes

él/ella/ustedteme

nosotrostememos

vosotrosteméis

ellos/ellas/ustedestemen

preterite

yotemí

tútemiste

él/ella/ustedtemió

nosotrostemimos

vosotrostemisteis

ellos/ellas/ustedestemieron

imperfect

yotemía

tútemías

él/ella/ustedtemía

nosotrostemíamos

vosotrostemíais

ellos/ellas/ustedestemían

subjunctive

present

yotema

tútemas

él/ella/ustedtema

nosotrostemamos

vosotrostemáis

ellos/ellas/ustedesteman

imperfect

yotemiera o temiese

tútemieras o temieses

él/ella/ustedtemiera o temiese

nosotrostemiéramos o temiésemos

vosotrostemierais o temieseis

ellos/ellas/ustedestemieran o temiesen

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: temo

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'temo'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

temer(to fear) - verb

temor(fear) - noun

temeroso(fearful, timid) - adjective

temible(fearsome, dreadful) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'temo' the same as 'tengo miedo'?

They mean the same thing ('I fear' or 'I am afraid'), but 'tengo miedo' is more common in everyday, casual conversation. 'Temo' can sound a little more formal or be used for more serious or abstract fears, like 'Temo el futuro' (I fear the future).

Why does this dictionary entry show conjugations for 'temer' if the word is 'temo'?

'Temo' is just one form of the verb 'temer' (the 'I' form for the present). To use the word correctly for other people ('you fear,' 'they feared,' etc.), you need to know all its forms. We provide the full map of the verb to help you use it in any situation!